Media reports, including stories in all three network newscasts, are casting the President's decision to replace Gen. David McKiernan as the top general in Afghanistan as part an effort to overhaul the nature of the US mission there. The AP reports, "A new team of commanders will now be charged with applying Obama's revamped strategy for challenging an increasingly brutal and resourceful insurgency," and that "strategy, still a work in progress, relies on the kind of special forces and counterinsurgency tactics" Lt. Gen. Stan McChrystal "knows well."
In a story that also appears in the Los Angeles Times' front page, the Chicago Tribune reports "the move followed criticism of McKiernan among military officials who said he had not moved aggressively enough to overhaul the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan as Taliban groups and extremists expanded their hold." NBC Nightly News, meanwhile, said that "critics claim McKiernan was old Army, focused more on conventional warfare than the count insurgency strategy desperately needed in Afghanistan."
Along similar lines, USA Today notes that Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst with the Brookings Institution, says McKiernan "is viewed as a solid leader, while 'McChrystal was seen as a superstar in the wings.'" ABC World News reported "McKiernan has been fired -- there is no other word for it," and added that "McChrystal is a star." The Wall Street Journal headlines its story "US Fires Afghan War Chief," and says that "the replacement of a four-star US war commander so early into his tenure is exceptional." The Washington Post also says McKiernan "was viewed as somewhat cautious and conventionally minded."
The New York Times reports that "forces under...McChrystal's command were credited with finding and capturing Saddam Hussein and with tracking and killing Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia." The Politico notes that in addition to being "responsible for the highly successful special operations effort in Iraq," McChrystal "is close to" Gen. David Petraeus. The CBS Evening News ran a similar report, noting that "McChrystal needs Senate confirmation before he could take over, and that could happen by the end of next month."
McClatchy notes the Administration "is trying to contain a furor in Afghanistan over the killings of civilians by US bombs in western Farah Province, although a senior US defense official, who asked not to be further identified, said Gates had requested McKiernan's resignation before last week's incident." On that issue, the Washington Times reports "a top aide defended...McKiernan after his dismissal as Afghanistan theater commander Monday, saying many of the civilians who died in US air strikes last week had been forced into target buildings by the Taliban and required to shoot at government forces." The Washington Post reports McKiernan's "abrupt removal...generated some dismay in Army circles, although US military officers and analysts voiced strong support for his likely replacement."
While most media stories on McChrystal focus on his successes, the Wall Street Journal this morning notes when McChrystal "was nominated to his current job as director of the Joint Staff last year, the confirmation was delayed because senators wanted more information about the treatment of detainees by special-operations units."
Several print sources this morning cover the White House's release of details about its plans to raise taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations. The coverage is generally positive. The Wall Street Journal reports the Obama Administration "provided more details on the scope of its tax proposals, showing the impact of rate increases on higher earners would hit couples with about $235,000 of 'taxable income,' or income after deductions and exemptions." The rate for those who report $235,000 of adjusted gross income would be 39.6%. The Hill reports President Obama "proposed new taxes Monday that will hit hedge funds, corporations and the wealthy to help jumpstart healthcare reform and pay for the rest of his ambitious agenda." One new proposal "that could net the government $1.2 billion would prevent foreign hedge funds from conducting swaps with U.S. banks to avoid paying withholding taxes on U.S. stock transactions." The Los Angeles Times says the Treasury Department "plans to raise $58 billion in taxes over the next 10 years -- targeting mainly securities dealers, life insurance firms and large estates -- and to close $210 billion in tax loopholes for multinational corporations."
AFP reports the Obama Administration "plans tax cuts of at least 736 billion dollars for middle-class families and 100 billion dollars for small businesses over the next 10 years, officials said Monday." The cuts "are part of the administration's revenue proposals under the 2010 budget that also aims to close hundreds of billions of dollars in tax loopholes, including 31 billion dollars in tax breaks for oil companies and 86.5 billion dollars in lost revenue sheltered in offshore tax havens."
The Wall Street Journal reports the White House Monday "unveiled a $210 billion plan to tax more of U.S. firms' overseas earnings and crack down on tax avoidance -- including a new measure to shut down a tax maneuver by foreign hedge funds." US companies "say the proposals would hamper their ability to compete in the global marketplace."
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The White House's revised budget deficit figures are covered by the major dailies -- and briefly by all three networks last night. Most stories attribute the increased red ink to the ongoing economic downturn, with some outlets reporting the Administration's economic forecasts remain more positive than those of private economists. The AP reports the government "will have to borrow nearly 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year, exploding the record federal deficit past $1.8 trillion under new White House estimates." Budget office figures "released Monday would add $89 billion to the 2009 red ink."
The CBS Evening News reported, "The President's budget director says the cost of health care is the biggest reason for the rising deficit." NBC Nightly News reported, "The White House today raised its estimate for what was already the largest budget deficit in history, lower tax revenues and the cost of the financial bailouts have added another $89 billion to that total tab."
Fox News' Special Report reported, "The Administration is conceding the economy is not recovering as fast as it would hope and that means these budget deficits, historically large, are probably going to continue for a while.'" The New York Times says the Treasury "released revised figures showing that Mr. Obama's proposal for financing fully half of his health care initiative over the next decade - a 28 percent limit on deductions for Americans in the top two income tax brackets - would raise $267 billion, or roughly $50 billion less than he initially projected."
McClatchy reports the White House "projected 2009 and 2010 federal budget deficits far higher than it forecast just two and a half months ago, even as it continued to defy most experts and predict that the economy is headed for a strong comeback starting late this year." Economists "scoffed at the latest administration predictions." Brian Bethune, the chief US financial economist at IHS Global Insight, said, "If they keep playing this game, they're going to have real credibility problems."
The Washington Times says "unlike in the 1990s, when a post-Soviet 'peace dividend' helped usher in a period of budget surpluses," proposed defense cuts "will barely dent the massive deficits foreseen long into the future." The White House "said that military spending, measured as a percentage of GDP, will drop to 3.1 percent in 2019, the lowest level since 2001."
Media coverage of the President's comments on healthcare costs, which included reports on all two out of three network newscasts, tended to cast them as an indication that momentum may be on his side as he moves to reform the healthcare system. The AP, for example, says "Obama's plan to provide medical insurance for all Americans took a big step toward becoming reality Sunday after leaders of the health care industry offered $2 trillion in spending reductions over 10 years to help pay for the program."
ABC World News reported, "America's healthcare bill is $2.5 trillion a year. That's $8,200 for every American. So you might have done a double take when you saw who was talking today at the White House about bringing down healthcare costs. Some of the same people who helped defeat healthcare reform 15 years ago." The CBS Evening News noted the providers "made broad promises to simplify health care administration, deliver health care more efficiently, reduce hospitalization, which they say will save $2 trillion over 10 years and save the average family $2,500 a year."
Bloomberg News notes Obama referred to a "watershed event," adding that the President "said any health-care legislation that the Democratic-controlled Congress sends him must reduce health-care costs, give Americans a choice of doctors and medical coverage, and provide affordable care for everyone."
More skeptical were the reports in the New York Times and Washington Post. On its front page, the Times reports that "if history is a guide, their commitments may not produce the promised savings." The Post says that Obama "appeared yesterday to put his faith in pledges from some of the interest groups that helped scuttle reform 15 years ago, but the industry's promises fell well short of the White House's expansive claims."
On ABC World News, medical editor Dr. Tim Johnson said industry sees "the momentum building, they want to be on the train not left at the station. Secondly, they are trying to build political goodwill in their fight against the public plan. The private health insurance industry is dead set opposed to a public plan."
Estate Tax Changes To Pay For Plan? The New York Times reports the Administration on Monday "proposed to raise nearly $60 billion more over 10 years mostly from tightening rules for inheritance taxes affecting the wealthiest estates. ... Revised estimates show that his main idea for financing the initiative -- a 28 percent limit on deductions for Americans in the top two tax brackets -- would raise $266.7 billion over a decade, not $318 billion as he had projected in his overall budget blueprint last February."
The Financial Times, meanwhile, notes "the US Treasury on Monday proposed raising taxes on securities dealers and life assurers to plug an unexpected shortfall in revenue needed for the administration's healthcare overhaul."
Senate Ponders Federal Soda Tax The Wall Street Journal reports, "Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system." The beverage tax "is just one of hundreds of ideas that lawmakers are weighing to finance the health-care plans."
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The consensus in the media this morning is that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will likely be in the poll position in the Senate race if he enters as expected today. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune says his entry is a "big score" for national Republicans, while The Hill calls Crist a "top recruit in a crucial state" and the Fort Myers News-Press characterizes him as the "overwhelming favorite." The Washington Times says the state "has become a more competitive state in recent presidential and state elections, but with two-thirds of Florida voters approving of the job Mr. Crist is doing, top campaign analysts Monday gave him the edge in the race if he is the party's nominee." CNN quotes Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report, saying, "He is the big fish that national Republicans have been looking for." MyFoxTampaBay.com reports that University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus "said it will be difficult for" a "challenger, no matter who, to overcome" Crist's approval rating, which stand at "around 70 percent."
However, the Democrats are not ceding the race, as the New York Times reports the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already been on the air attacking with a TV spot accusing him of leaving the state a "mess."
CQ Politics reports that Rep. Steve Israel (D) "has told fellow members of New York's congressional delegation that he will challenge" New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) "in a Democratic primary in 2010, congressional aides said Monday." Roll Call says Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D) and Carolyn McCarthy (D) are also considering the race. In a blog posting, The Politico says Israel "would be one of the few Democrats who could credibly challenge Gillibrand in a primary. As a visible Long Island-area congressman, he would be well-positioned to win votes in the city and the New York City suburbs that comprise much of the Democratic primary vote. And he is a very strong fundraiser, and banked over $1.7 million in his campaign account at the end of March."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Al Franken's (D) lawyers yesterday "defended his victory in the U.S. Senate election trial, telling the Minnesota Supreme Court there is no evidence that problems with absentee voting affected the outcome of the race" and asking the court to seat him as soon as possible. However, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that RNC chairman Michael Steele said over the weekend that Norm Coleman (R) should appeal the case to the federal courts if he does not succeed in overturning Franken's victory in state court.
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Jay Leno: "You all have a happy Mother's Day? ... I thought this was nice." John Edwards "told his wife, 'Of all the women I have children with, I'm going to spend today with you.'"
Jay Leno: "Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech to fifth graders" in "Syracuse, New York, where he said his dog is smarter than President Obama's dog. Actually, the dog is smarter than" Biden, because it at least "knows when not to speak."
Jimmy Fallon: "The Post Office announced that the price of a stamp is going up to 44 cents. This is getting out of control. Yeah. If there were just some other way to send written messages that were free and a million times faster. If you guys think of something, e-mail me."
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